


JuneBug

by Withcrafts



Category: No Fandom, Original Work
Genre: Homophobic Language, M/M, another piece written for my choir, based on Candlelight Canon by Audrey Snyder
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-01-21
Updated: 2019-02-24
Packaged: 2019-03-07 19:15:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,959
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13441467
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Withcrafts/pseuds/Withcrafts
Summary: June, an asocial writer, bonds with a wayward artist





	1. Chapter 1

Just like a typical winter evening, the sun dipped down below the horizon earlier than expected. The streets were dark, only dimly illuminated by the lanterns that hung over the signs of taverns and inns. Most of the townsfolk were either finishing up work, or trudging through the snow-filled paths to get back home, but not June, the town's only homebody and fulltime author. He was sitting pressed up against the window of his living room, watching the rest of his world go past him. After a day of non-stop storyboarding, he wanted nothing more to just relax. He also happened to be waiting for someone.

For the past week and a half, every evening once the sun had set, at approximately 6:00 pm, a cloaked figure nestled itself into the corner of the gatepost to the neighbors' home across the road. The first night they appeared, June wasn't concerned with them, thinking they were simply passing through and couldn't find a place to stay the night. He simply shrugged it off and went about his business. The next few evenings, he became concerned when the cloaked person hadn't left the third evening in a row, so he went out to offered them his home, candle in hand.

It turned out the cloaked person was a young man who looked to be about June's age (roughly 24 years, but who's counting?). He had short, curly ginger hair and freckles on every inch of his face. He looked nervous as June approached, maybe even a bit fearful. Before June could say anything, the man blurted out, "I apologize, I'll move if I am disturbing you," and promptly stood up. Now that his face was fully illuminated by the flickering candlelight, June saw how disheveled he really was. Impossibly large dark circles stained the skin under his eyes, and his face was smeared with what seemed to be a combination of flour, pollen, and dirt.

"No," June said, "I was going to offer you a place to stay since it seems that you have no place to go."

The man chuckled and shook his head. "I am fine as I am. However, thank you for your kind offer."

June sighed. He wasn't good with talking with people, and situations like these didn't help that. He wasn't willing to stay and argue, so he handed the man the candle and wished him a goodnight.

The next morning, the candle was set on his windowsill, and the man was nowhere to be found. June found the whole experience to be quite interesting since he didn't normally go out of his way to talk to a person he didn't know. It didn't matter though, since it was winter and it was cold outside. He wouldn't let the man sleep out in the bitter cold night because it simply wasn't right.

Every evening from then on, June would go out and offer the man, who's name was Edward, his home. Of course, like the previous nights, Edward would blatantly refuse and insist that he was fine. Some evenings, Edward would somehow get June into conversation. That is how he learned that Edward was an artist. He worked at the bakery, designing cakes, and at the florists' shop, arranging bouquets. He had set out to somehow work in an environment that would put his talents to use, but there weren't any back home, so he wandered. Somehow he ended up in June's town. Both the baker and florist loved his works and hired him immediately. Despite being able to support himself, there wasn't anywhere to stay. For some reason unknown to June, Edward had gotten into arguments with both of the inn keepers in town and was refused service. So, that was the reason why Edward was camping in front of the neighbor's gate; however, he wouldn't explain why he refused to stay with June.

During one of the routine evening visits, June brought Edward a quilt to keep him warm. The pure look of simultaneous disbelief and fondness Edward gave June was a little too much for him, so he looked away for a moment. He instantly regretted the decision when Edward suddenly knocked into him, embracing him in a way he wasn't used to, and managed to topple them both down into the snow. Edward swiftly apologized and helped June up, but he was too dazed to even care. Nobody had even thought of hugging him since the day he left home. It wasn't a new experience, but it felt as if it was, and he didn't quite detest it. He assumed that meant progress with becoming comfortable with other people.

As he sat at his window, watching the slowly falling snow, he waited. There was a feeling unfamiliar to him that was sitting on the edge of his conscience. He knew well enough that the cause of the feeling was Edward. He had brought with himself a new range of emotions for June to enjoy. For example, when Edward had told him that he had never had tasted toffee before, June felt determined to introduce the flavorful treat to Edward. June had easily found the word to describe what he was feeling then. Being a writer often required an expansive vocabulary and the ability to find words for every situation, but June was finding that finding words was becoming difficult for him. The weird, standoffish feeling that he couldn't name was bothering him to no end. He could tell it wasn't negative, but it wasn't entirely positive either. Something in him brought up the word nagging. It was a sort of nagging feeling, though it wasn't hounding him. The word want came up next, and that clicked with him. Yearning? Longing? No, those were too strong for this emotion. Eager… that suited it perfectly.

He was eager to see Edward. Of course he was, he'd been meeting with him for about a whole fortnight. Now that he thought about it, the whole affair sounded something akin to a cheesy romance novella you'd see in every bookstore around the corner. Progress, he thought. It was simply progress to becoming socially competent.

What had simply been flurries a half hour earlier had turned into a howling mess of wild winds and a torrent of snow. June was worried that Edward wouldn't last through the night in the storm. How would he even make it to this side of town in the weather? June got up and paced, pondering whether or not he should go and find Edward. For a good fifteen minutes, he argued with himself before coming to the conclusion that he should go because that's what a good person would do. Amidst getting on his heavy duty winter coat, he noticed a slightly noticable dark patch where the neighbor's gate was. Edward was there.

June ran out the door, forcing his way through the knee-deep layer of snow on the road. When he reached Edward, he didn't pop up like he usually did. He just looked up and gave June a weak smile. That nagging feeling was coming back up.

"Edward I am not letting you stay out in this storm no matter what. I don't know what caused your aversion to my house, but you're going to have to push that aside until this blizzard lets up." June said, helping Edward to his feet. He didn't protest or refuse, he just grabbed his bag and held onto June's hand.

He led Edward back to his front door and pulled him inside. He immediately stripped him of his soaked coat and scarf, tossing them aside.

Edward shifted, looking a bit unnerved. "Will that not damage your floor?"

"I don't mind right now. Take off your shoes." June shrugged. Edward complied, leaving his boots next to the heap to wet fabric that was his coat. June took him upstairs to his only guest room that hadn't been in use for years. The bed was still made, drawers and windowsill free from dust, and the quilt that Edward had loved but refused to keep, folded on top of the duvet.

"June… you are too good to me." Edward whispered, taking a seat on the bed. He sat silently for a moment. He knit his brow, as if he was making a difficult decision.

He looked up at June. "Why?"

"Well, " June started, "A long time ago when I first started as a writer, I was in your situation. I was adamant about doing things for myself and being independent, too. When things got bad, I almost gave up. I almost stopped fighting, but a friend reached out. They helped me get back on my feet and gave me my spirit back. I saw myself in you, and I didn't want you to end up like me, so of course I was willing to help. Even if you rejected me every single time."

Edward hung his head again. Neither of them moved or said anything. It was a peaceful moment, and June was grateful for it. A sigh came from Edward, who then stood up and moved in to hug June. That time, it wasn't awkward or unfamiliar, and June returned it.

After that, June lit the candle he'd given to Edward that first evening, and wished his friend goodnight. The warm glow of the candlelight, the sweet embrace of a friend, and the low howling of a blizzard's winds eased June into a comfortable sleep that night.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The next day, from Edward's pov

When Edward woke up, he was laying on his back in darkness. He was surrounded by a pleasant warmth, too, which wasn't typical of his mornings. Maybe someone had finally reported him to the police and he was locked up in a cell. For a jail cell, it was pretty comfortable. Almost too comfortable. 

He sat up, rubbed the sleep out of his eyes, and got out of the unfamiliar bed he’d been laid in. There weren't any lights on, so he stumbled around in the dark until, his hand hit a switch. He flipped it upwards and the lights in the room flickered to life. Looking around, he found that he was in an ordinary room, not a jail cell as he had previously thought. That was when he remembered what happened the night before. 

He sunk down to the floor, letting out a sigh. While he held June dearly in his heart for being so kind and generous to him, he couldn’t help but feel the slightest bit embarrassed. Appearing so vulnerable in front of someone he’d come to admire was a mighty blow to his pride. Being mothered was also something he wasn’t too fond of, but June’s genuine kindness shocked him. He expected to just sleep in the nook he’d always been in, and wake up half dead, but no, June came running to his rescue. Kindness it seemed, was infatuated with Edward, but he hadn’t been gifted a grand kindness like June’s in quite a while.

Edward got up slowly. He would need to get to the bakery for work soon. When he opened the door, he found a towel and a small bottle of soap situated neatly on his now dry, folded coat right in front of the doorway. His bag was also there. He leaned down, picked up his belongings, and walked out into the hall. There were two doors across from him and one at the end of the hall to his right. The door on his left was open, but the lights inside were off. Though he was intrigued by the oddity, he didn’t want to go snooping around June’s home - but then again, he did have to find the bath. 

Peeking inside the open door, he searched for the light switch. Once he found it, he flipped it on, and to his surprise, it was the bath. He quickly went in and closed the door. It was a small bath, with only a shower, toilet, and short sink. He wasted no time getting into the shower, brushing his teeth, and hurriedly getting dressed. After placing his bag and the amenities provided to him in his new room, he went downstairs. 

Immediately, the smell of coffee hit him like a wall. He usually disliked the pungent scent, but it wasn’t as strong as normal. Perhaps it was a blonde roast. Edward walked down the hall to where the aroma appeared to be coming from, and turned the corner to find June sitting at a small table. He was sipping coffee from a bright orange mug. 

“Good morning.” June said, looking up from his mug. He looked like he hadn’t been awake for long. His midnight curls hung loosely around his shoulders and seemed a bit damp. 

“Good morning, June. How did you sleep last night?” He replied, taking a seat across from him.  
June snorted then took a long sip from his mug.

“I got two hours,” June sighed, “But that’s normal for me. How did you sleep?”

“Fantastic, thank you. That's probably the best sleep I’ve gotten in a week.”

June nodded and continued to sip on his coffee. Edward wanted to ask him about the two hours of sleep, but he didn’t want to come across as nosy. He did admit that June looked like he didn’t get much sleep. Dark circles hung under his eyes, staining his already dark skin. He also seemed to have a constant frown with his brow permanently furrowed. Although he looked tired, he was still quite handsome.

Suddenly, June put his cup down and cleared his throat. “I’m sorry, Edward, do you want something to drink before you head to work? I have coffee, or tea if you’d prefer.” 

“Oh, uhh… coffee will do, thank you. Do you perchance know what the time is?” Edward questioned. 

“5:45 a.m. You leave at 6 O’clock, right?” June asked as he got up. He moved towards the cupboard next to the window over the sink and pulled out a neon blue mug. He grabbed the silver kettle off of the stove and filled the mug halfway.

“Do you like anything in it?” June asked. 

“Just a pinch of sugar and some cream,” Edward answered, “Should I get them for you?”

June shook his head and fished around a cabinet, pulling out a small canister of sugar. He then poured a teaspoon of the sugar in the coffee, and then went to the fridge. The cream he spoke of was in fact, a vanilla flavoured creamer. He stirred a decent amount of the stuff into the mug before handing it to Edward. As always, Edward thanked him and took a sip. It was sweeter than when he usually had it, but he didn’t detest it.

They sat silently, drinking their coffee, until June spoke up to inform Edward that it was time for him to head off to work. He hastily said farewell, put on his coat, and ran out the door. 

The snow hadn’t melted one bit, but the roads had been cleared of the stuff, leaving heaps of it covering the sidewalk. Edward hurried to get to the shop as quick as he could. The cold was unbearable. Being as windy as it was, the cold was amplified to an unreasonable temperature. 

The streets were relatively empty. He wasn’t sure what kind of jobs the rest of the town had. Aside from the bakery, there was a small post office, a shopping mart, two inns on the opposite ends of town, the tiniest clinic he’s ever seen, a florist’s shop, and tailor’s shop. Despite the small amount of establishments, there seemed to be an abundance of houses and all of them occupied. Though, he did note, the houses looked more modern than the shops. Perhaps they all worked outside of town? He wasn’t too invested in knowing. He just wanted to get out of the unrelenting winds and cold. 

After a brisk five minute walk from June’s, Edward was finally at the bakery. He let out a sigh of relief once he stepped inside. Mia, the baker, called out from the kitchen, requesting Edward’s presence immediately. Pushing through the door, he was greeted by a warm glow and Mia holding a tray of dough, ready to be baked. 

“Glad you could make it, Eddie. I didn’t know if you would manage with all this snow about,” She said, sliding the tray into the oven. 

“Well, I did think that maybe I would not be able to walk through the snow, but look, I am here and it was not that hard.” He replied, tossing his coat into a corner and walking over to the sink. He rolled up his sleeves and washed his hands while asking Mia what she wanted him to get started on. 

“For starters, you could put the rest of these trays into the oven for me so I can start on the cakes for today. I’ve decided to toss the red velvet and move onto a carrot cake for the next two weeks,” Mia said. Edward walked over to the trays Mia had placed onto the counter for baking and began placing them in the oven. 

Unfortunately, Mia’s bakery was quite small, so they had limited resources. Their two ovens could only fit so many trays. This made it difficult to get started in the morning. Mia offered four types of bread at her bakery and they all took different temperatures to bake, so only two could be made at the same time. Then after the bread was done baking, they’d have to reserve an oven for cookies and the other for cakes and other pastries. Mia and Edward made it work, but he couldn’t help wishing things could be easier on them. 

“Eddie, Love, where did you stay last night?” Mia suddenly asked as she filled two oversized mixers. 

“Oh,” Eddie breathed, “June, he gave me a room to stay the night.” 

Mia turned around to look at him. “Did he now? That’s very kind of him, but I thought I heard you telling me that you weren’t so sure about it.” 

“Well, yes. I was at first. I was sure that he did not want a stranger inside his home, especially a person like me.” Eddie said. Mia nodded and turned back. 

“What could you possibly mean a person like you. You’re a sweet boy, Eddie. I’m sure he feels the same way, Love. Plus, he sounds like a very sweet boy himself from what you’ve told me.” 

“He is, yes. Very caring, very nice.” Edward grinned.   
The sun rose just as Edward had been putting their various treats on display. The rays shone right down into their windows, casting a warm glow on the wood floors and intricately painted pastel walls. He wasn’t sure if it was Mia who had drawn the gorgeous sceneries on the walls, but who ever did was truly an artist. It was if they had melded several Monet paintings into one. The impeccable ability to meld warm and cold tones shone in the scenes of colorful gardens and ponds. The soft but realistic forms of nature covered every inch of the wall, and Edward loved it. Being surrounded by such elaborate art was comforting and inspiring. It made him want to create art just a beautiful, so that’s what he did. Mia had made him head of cake decorating, and so he got to explore a new medium. Using frosting and fondant, he created gorgeous cakes that reflected his inspiration and creativity. Unfortunately, he only got to decorate cakes for the first half of the day. 

Noon was his cue to grab his coat, bid Mia farewell, and walk down to the Florist’s. It was a short walk, so in no time he was at the shop, putting his coat in the back room, replacing it with an apron. Jane, the florist, was watering the flowers already on display. 

“So, what is there available for me to do today?” Edward asked, standing at the counter. 

“For today, there’s two bouquets to arrange and I got a new box of seeds ready to be put on the shelves when you’re done.” Jane chirped. Edward nodded and got to work. The two bouquets were for a celebration, so he had no trouble putting together a meaningful, beautiful arrangement. He left the two bouquets in the back, placing them carefully so that they didn’t become disheveled. His task of stocking the shelves with seed packets was finished just as quick as the bouquets, so Jane asked him to sit at the counter while she managed a few things in the back. 

Foot traffic at the shop was mainly older women coming in for seeds and the pre-made bouquets on display. They all struck up conversation with Edward when they came in. It made his slow day more enjoyable and gave him a chance to practice his language skills. He liked to think that his English was good, but he knew he needed practice.

He’d grown up Italy, so he spoke Italian and taught himself English in college so he could leave Italy and go start a life in the UK. The English he taught himself was different than the English they spoke in the UK, so he had to adapt and change his vocabulary. It wasn’t so bad, but his cadence was off slightly, too. He found it quite embarrassing, but he was determined to get it right. 

Around closing time, the customer who ordered the bouquets came in to receive their orders. Edward was turned around, fiddling with one of the signs posted on the wall behind him. When he turned to greet the person who came into the shop, he wasn’t ready to see one of the innkeepers staring at him with a glare on his face. 

“Welcome to Jane’s, sir, how may I help you?” Edward grinned nervously. The man said curtly that he was here for his bouquets and for Edward to make it quick. He hurriedly went to the back and picked the two up and rushed back to the front. 

“Here they are sir, your total will be $45.28.” He said, looking down at the counter. 

“What do you mean $45!” The man sputtered. “Jane told me they’d be under $30, so what do you mean! Are you trying to steal from me, boy?”

Edward shook his head and took a step back. “I’m sorry sir, I would not ever do that. I calculated the price based on what Jane has told me.” 

Just then, Jane walked in from the back. 

“Oh, Richard, you’re here. What’s happening? Are you harassing my assistant?” She said, putting her hands on her hips. 

The man, Richard, didn’t take his eyes off of Edward and pointed at him accusingly. “Your assistant here, was trying to rob me! You told me just the other day that these wouldn’t be any more than $30, yet here he is, trying to charge me $45.” 

“Richard,” She sighed, “That was the estimate I gave you. I wasn’t anticipating the fact that you were adding one of my more expensive selections to your arrangement. Plus, it’s not that much more than I guessed.”

“You’re unbelievable, Jane.” Richard said through gritted teeth. He fished his wallet out of his pocket and placed several bills on the counter. He grabbed his two bouquets and made for the door. Before leaving he turned back and looked back at Edward. 

“Just so you know boy, these are for my son and his fiance. You’d better not get any ideas if I see you around him again.” Then he left. 

Edward leaning forward on the counter, putting his head on his arms. A sigh left him. He’d been hoping he wouldn’t see either of the innkeepers after being chased out by the both of them. The whole ordeal was a mess. 

He’d checked into the other innkeeper’s inn and was lounging at the pub when he was joined by two boys. They were loud and rowdy, just like boys his age should be. He kept to himself, simply sipping at his drink, trying not to keep looking over at them. Besides being loud, they were both funny and good looking. The two of them kept sitting all over the pub, changing seats until they finally sat at the bar, next to Edward. He didn’t mind that they sat next to him, but when one of them spilled their drink onto his bag next to him. He accidentally let a curse slip and grabbed his bag, making sure none of his sketchbooks got wet. The boy who spilled his drink apologized promptly and introduced himself for a reason unknown to Edward. The other boy, Leo, did the same after Edward introduced himself to the boy, Oliver. Both of them seemed to be interested in the sketch books he took out of his bag. Edward wasn’t shy about showing people his work, so he left the two go through them. While Leo wasn’t particularly interested, Oliver was fascinated. He kept asking endless questions about this page and that page. How did you draw that? What’s this? Are you sure you’re not a wizard or something? Edward answered all his questions easily, enjoying the company. Soon they both dropped the art and started prodding him about where he was from and how he managed to get to the middle of nowhere. He told him he was looking for something new away from home and away from the busy streets of his hometown. 

During their conversation, both boys kept insisting he drink with them, and he wasn’t particularly busy the next day, so he agreed. He let go of being careful and just enjoyed himself, so he no longer cared that he was eyeing them. Neither of them even noticed. He didn’t care enough to move away when Oliver bumped shoulders with him. He didn’t care that his heart was racing when Leo threw an arm around his neck. Things were getting dangerous, but he couldn’t care any less. 

He turned to tell Oliver something, a stupid remark or a dumb joke, but it never left his mouth. The blonde was staring at him with a smile brighter than the sun. Edward couldn’t help admiring his eyes as blue as the ocean and the long blonde lashes around them. He was sure his heart was ready to leap out of his chest when Oliver leaned in closer, asking what was wrong. Then he made the mistake. The stupid mistake that cost him a place to stay. He leaned in and kissed Oliver. 

The first reaction he got was a stare, then a glare and cup of ale to the face. He got up, soaked and looked at the both of them. Leo was staring at him with disgust plain in his eyes and Oliver staring with fiery eyes. He grabbed his bag and books then went up to his room. As soon as he closed the door behind him, he dropped to the floor on his knees. Why did he have to go and fuck up his chances of being friends with them. Pulling himself off the floor, he walked into the bathroom and turned on the tap. He stuck his head under, running his hands through his hair and over his face to get the drying alcohol off his skin. After a minute he turned the tap off, grabbed a towel and dried himself off. His shirt was still wet, so he took it off and threw it on the ground. Just as he put on a new one, there was a knock at his door. He wondered if it was Oliver and Leo, coming to beat him senseless. 

When he opened the door he was greeted by the angry face of the innkeeper. 

“I’m sorry Mr. Ricci, but we don’t house fags here, so I’m going to have to ask you to leave.” He said with malice in his voice. Edward didn’t say anything. He just nodded. He grabbed his bags and walked out the room. He stumbled over the innkeeper’s foot as he left the room, embarrassed as all hell. He quickly left the building, not bothering to look to see if Oliver and Leo were still at the bar. He thought to himself that he’d just go to the other inn he saw, and made his way across town. When he stepped in through the door, he saw Oliver standing at the counter with a man who he guessed was his father. When they both saw him, Oliver’s father began berating him, telling him he wasn’t welcome to stay at his establishment. So, with even more shame, Edward walked out, wondering where he would stay. He wandered around the neighborhood for a long while before collapsing in front of some house’s gatepost. That was his makeshift ‘home’ for a while. Before he met June who kept insisting that he come stay with him and took him in during the blizzard the night before. He wouldn’t ever be able to thank June enough for his kindness. He didn’t even have the words to explain it. He’d have to find a way, but he was stuck. 

His thoughts were interrupted by Jane’s hand on his shoulder. 

“You all right, Ed? Richard can be… difficult, but don’t let it get to you. By the way, what did he mean about you and his son?” She asked. Edward just shook his head. 

“I would not like to talk about it right now, Jane. I’m sorry.” He sighed. Jane patted his shoulder and told him that he could talk to her about it whenever. After that, they both closed up shop, and Jane bade him goodnight. Trudging through the snow, he wondered if he should just leave town. The community was small and he was sure that that Richard and the two boys would tell everyone they knew about the fag that just wandered into town two weeks ago. It hadn’t even passed his mind until that encounter that people might know about it. He wasn’t too keen on being harassed, so he seriously thought about it until he reached June’s door. He hesitated before knocking. Did June know? What would he do if he knew? Edward took a deep breath and told himself to stop worrying. He’d cross that bridge when he got there. 

June opened the door as soon as Edward’s knuckles touched the wood. 

“Welcome back, Edward.” He said, ushering him inside. Edward hung his coat up on the coat rack by the door this time, and followed June into the den. 

“So, how was your day?” June asked, sitting in a chair across from the sofa Edward sat on. 

“It was good, “ Edward said, “I had an enjoyable day at work.”

June grinned. “That’s good. Personally, I think you should enjoy the work you do. I couldn’t imagine working a job I didn’t enjoy.”

“Sometimes you have to do things you don’t want to do, yeah?” Edward laughed. June chuckled and nodded. June asked for an example and Edward launched into a story about a job he picked up in college that he absolutely loathed. Halfway through, a beeping noise rang from the kitchen. 

“Oh, dinner’s ready. I hope you don’t mind beef stew. It’s all I could make with what I have.” June said, rising from his seat. 

“No, it’s fine! Thank you, June.” Edward said. June lead him to the kitchen, telling him to sit at the dining table while he got everything ready. 

“Do you prefer rice or bread with your stew? I didn’t know which you’d like, so I prepared both.” June asked from in front of the stove. 

“Oh, I will have bread if you don’t mind.” Edward replied. June soon walked over with one two plates in hand, one with Edward’s bread and the other with the stew he made. He also went back and placed water as well as utensils in front of Edward. 

“I hope it’s palatable, I can’t remember the last time I’d cooked for someone other than myself.” June said, sitting himself down with his own plate finally. 

“It’s good, don’t worry!” Edward said, taking a spoonful. The last time he’d eaten something home cooked was ages ago. 

They sat in relative silence while they ate. Edward didn’t mind it. He grew up in a hectic household, so he valued silence when he could. Plus, he disliked talking while eating. June didn’t eat too much during dinner, taking small bites of rice and stew at a time. Edward really wondered how June lived. Just that morning June said he slept two hours a night and now he wasn’t eating enough. Edward hoped that he ate something for lunch. He couldn’t say anything like that out loud, though. Coming across as nosy when he was just welcomed into June’s home was the last thing he wanted to do. 

When they were finished, June told Edward that he’d do the dishes, but he insisted on doing them because June had just made dinner for the both of them. In the end, June gave in and told Edward that it wouldn’t happen next time. He also told Edward that he was welcome to stay for awhile and that he should look around to become familiar. After that, June had retired to his room, leaving Edward to explore. First, he explored the first floor. He knew where the den and kitchen were, but down the hallway was a mystery. The hallway had three doors, all closed. The first led to a library. Towering bookcases lined the walls except one where a plush sofa sat pressed to the wall. There were also piles upon piles of books on the ground. Edward left the room, not wanting to disturb anything. 

The door across from the library was another bathroom. The walls were painted sky blue, and it smelled of fresh linen. The last door led outside to a small garden. It was covered in snow, but he could tell that it was overrun with weeds by the tall strands poking through. He shut the door and made his way upstairs. There were three rooms he hadn’t gone into, one being June’s room. The first unexplored room held a piano and several instruments. He wondered if maybe June wouldn’t mind him playing them one day. The second unexplored room was an office. It was cluttered and filled with papers, folders, notebooks, and binders. In front of the only window in the room was June’s desk. It had papers scattered all over and a laptop in the center. There were also an abundance of trinkets on it. A small flamingo that dipped its beak in a small bowl of water, a small clump of magnetic balls shaped into a heart, a miniature globe, and a solar-powered beckoning cat to name a few. It was quite endearing. June looked like a cold person, strictly business, but he wasn’t. He had a quirky personality that Edward was beginning to see. He left June’s office, feeling warm, and stopped in front of June’s door. He knocked, and June opened it. 

“Yes?” He said, smiling. 

“I had just wanted to say goodnight and thank you, again. I’m very grateful.” Edward said. 

June chuckled. “Think nothing of it. Goodnight Edward, let me know if you need anything.”

Edward nodded and June closed the door. He went back to his own room, changing into his nightwear. He looked out the window and up at the moon before getting into bed. It was absolutely gorgeous tonight and he wished it goodnight in his heart.


End file.
